Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to electronic circuits, and more particularly, to spot circuits.
Description of the Related Technology
A spot circuit or spot-moving stage can be used in a wide variety of applications.
In one example, a frequency divider includes spot circuits electrically connected in a ring, and the frequency divider is used to divide an input clock signal to generate an output clock signal. Each spot circuit is operable to pass or move a spot, which can be represented using a logical one or zero, to the next spot circuit in the ring. The spot advances from one spot circuit to the next based on timing of the input clock signal, and the output clock signal is generated based on a time taken by the spot to move around the ring.
The frequency divider, in turn, can be used in a wide variety of applications, such as in phase locked loops (PLLs) or frequency synthesizers. For instance, a PLL can use the frequency divider to divide the output of a controllable oscillator to generate a feedback clock signal used by a phase frequency detector (PFD).